


The Chronos Contract

by CloudyLightning



Category: Tales of Xillia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2016-03-18
Packaged: 2018-05-04 23:57:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5353169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloudyLightning/pseuds/CloudyLightning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jude, a smart sixteen-year-old boy, is your everyday normal (or not so normal) home-schooled kid; born and raised in Elympios. Things get a bit strange when someone randomly gives him a ticket to get on a train without much of a choice. An AU where Jude wasn't born in Reize Maxia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Youngest Brother?

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this is an Alternate Universe of where Jude wasn't born in Reize Maxia. Even so, the events that happened in the first game still occurred, just without Jude.

Fractured Reality

Balan was tired. As the Origin head researcher, he barely had many breaks. He worked from sun up to sun down every day of the week, except Sundays. He never expected his workload to suddenly increase when the Schism between Rieze Maxia and Elympios dispelled a year ago. In fact, how he even managed to become the lead spyrite researcher was a bit beyond him. Though he got all the credit, he was not the one who came up with the idea. 

He looked over to his preoccupied desk behind him to see a sixteen-year-old teen lazily spinning a pen in his hands. His slightly messy, raven, silk-like hair nearly covered his golden honey eyes as the teen looked out of the closest window. He wore a white button down shirt with a black jacket that was folded to his elbows, unbuttoned. Hanging loosely around his neck was a blue neck tie. Around his left wrist was a multicolored, glass-beaded bracelet with a single cluster of clock gears hanging off. In the center of the cluster of gears was a symbol that greatly resembled a clock face. Balan smiled. 

That child came up with the idea a few years back, but it was never recognized until Balan proposed it to the government two years ago. He wanted the teen to help him with his research, but the teen’s brother was completely against it. In fact, the teen was only here when someone needed to watch him. 

Balan blinked for a moment when he reminded himself of a meeting he had to attend to. He glanced at the clock and grimaced. He only had fifteen minutes to prepare. He picked up a file he knew he needed and headed to a cabinet near his desk. The teen seemed to snap out of his daydream and turned in the chair to look at him with curiosity. 

“Did an idea come to you, Balan?” he asked. Balan pulled out another file and shook his head. 

“Actually, I just remembered about a meeting I need to go to.” he answered him. He closed the drawer and headed to the door. Another thought popped into his head and made him stop near his desk. He turned to look at Jude.

"Which reminds me, Jude, it’s one of those days, isn’t it? Do you think you can handle yourself until Alfred picks you up?" asked Balan. The small black haired teen looked up from Balan's desk and waved a math workbook up in the air with a smile. 

"Yup! Julius wants me to get a lesson done today, so I'm just going to be right here, working on it. So, don’t worry about me." Jude said. Balan gave him a look before plucking the book out of his hands. Jude panicked and reached for his book, but Balan turned around to block Jude’s hand. In all honestly, he doubted Jude was actually working on it.

“Hey! Balan!” 

The researcher pressed his lips together when he opened to the last page he was working on. The borders of the page were covered with penned tomato vines, complete well-detailed tomatoes of different shapes and sizes. On one of the tomatoes, there was a chibi-version of Julius hugging it with a blank look. Chibi-versions of Jude were holding the answer boxes with expressions of a very cheery person. Heck, even one had his fat cat, Lulu, chewing on it. Balan actually took the time to quickly calculate a few of the problems (which were differential equations that was a bit advanced for his age), half-surprised that they were right. He closed the workbook and handed it back to the guilty Jude, who took it rather nervously, with a straight face.

“Jude, I know that you’re a smart kid and all, but seriously,” Balan placed a hand on his hip and held a finger up, “stop drawing all over them! Honestly, it makes me even wonder why Julius never scolds you about these things.” Jude gave him a sheepish smile.

“Actually, he scolds me in the morning before he leaves for work.” 

Balan rolled his eyes and glanced at the clock. Five minutes left. 

"Ah! I have to go now! Just remember to keep your GHS near you. Alfred will be coming by to pick you up soon, okay?" he said as he hurriedly walked to the door. The teen nodded as he placed his book back down. 

"Okay, see you tomorrow then!" Jude said with a wave. Balan returned the gesture with a wave of his own and a quick "Be good!" before leaving to office completely. Jude sat there for a moment, making sure that no one else was coming in. Once a minute passed, he sighed and placed an elbow on the desk and rested his head on his propped hand. Boredom in settled faster than he wanted it. He looked around in search of something to do. He spotted a single file with a yellow sticky note sitting on top of a mostly cleared up desk at the other side of the room. 

Without much of a thought, he got up and decided to check it out. Although he was here, Balan barely ever allowed Jude to take a look at any of the spyrite or Origin research. He could understand why though. Balan already had enough on his plate with all of the meetings and researching he had to do. To top that off, Balan even took the responsibility to watch over Jude when the teen needed to be watched. 

Jude stood at the desk and took a peek at the sticky note.

“Balan, read this when you have the time. It’s the research on the ‘Spirit Artes’ you were asking for.”  
~Maki

Curiosity nipped at him as he reached to open it, but it shattered when he heard his ring tone in his pocket. His hand quickly retracted as he pulled out his GHS and answered it. “Alvin?”

“Hey, Jude! I’m here at the front. Ludger wanted to pick you up with me, but he got held for something. You guys will just meet at home.” came Alvin’s slightly cheery voice. Jude nodded, completely forgetting that Alvin couldn’t see his face.

“Right! I’ll be down there soon. Just let me get my things.” he said, turning away from the file. He quickly picked up his shoulder bag and stuffed his math work book inside. Jude took a quick look around to see if he missed anything. His gaze lingered on the file for a moment. Maki, the person the note was from, was a fellow researcher under Balan. She helped with getting any background information that he needed. If he remembered correctly, ‘Spirit Artes’ was an ability that only Rieze Maxians could use. It made him wonder why Balan needed that file. 

Jude shook his head and quickly left the office, deciding to worry about it later. In a matter of minutes, he made it to the front with barely any trouble. He spotted Alvin and hurried over to him with his usual cheery smile on his face. “Hey, Alvin!”

The long, brushed-back, brown-haired man looked up from his GHS and grinned. He wore a dark blue trench coat and dark blue dress shirt underneath it. His slacks were nicely ironed and made him look professional. Instead of a tie, he wore a scarf with a tan scarf. Once Jude was close enough, he swung an arm around the boy’s neck and ruffled his hair in a friendly gesture. 

“Good to see you, kiddo!” Alvin said. Jude laughed and slipped out of Alvin’s grip in a second. 

“How was work?” Jude asked as he straightened his jacket. Alvin placed a hand on his hip and began to lead the way to Jude’s apartment. 

“Well, business is still a bit shaky, but I think we’re getting there.” he said, casually. “How was your day?”

Jude immediately answered with an upbeat tone about how things were just going normally. It was fun, really. Until recently, Alvin was previously known as Alfred Vint Svent, a resident of Elympios. Jude learned that he disappeared into Rieze Maxia over twenty years ago, leaving his cousin, Balan, to fend for himself. A year ago, he ran into a group of people and helped with dispelling the Schism. Alvin even traveled with a legend, “Maxwell” herself, according to the Rieze Maxians. Even Jude was surprised to learn that the man who tries (and sometimes fails) to get women, actually traveled with the Lord of Spirits. 

“—and Balan caught me drawing in my workbook again. He scolded me lightly, but it’s so hard not to when I’m bored!” Jude said as they neared the apartment building. Alvin walked by him, listening and adding his own comments. 

“Well, Balan has a point though,” he said, stopping in the middle of the park. “You can’t just draw all over it. What if it was an official paper or something?” 

Jude pressed his lips together and bowed his head a bit. “I know that! Stop treating me like I’m a child. I’m sixteen!” 

Alvin just chuckled and shook his head. He didn’t answer as another voice took over. 

“What’s this I hear about drawing?” Jude recognized the voice immediately and spun on his heel with a sheepish smile. There, standing with a brown paper bag of groceries in his arms, was his caretaker. The man had white hair with a portion of his bangs faded into black and caring azure eyes with a yellow ring in his pupils. He wore a blue dress shirt with folded sleeves and brown suspenders, a yellow necktie, and black trousers with a blue, feather-like decoration hanging off his phone case in the back. And lastly, he had a small pouch attached to his left thigh. 

"Hi, Ludger! Does today's dinner have tomatoes in it?" Jude asked enthusiastically, in hope of changing the subject. Ludger raised an eyebrow and gave him a look. 

"Hey, don't go changing the subject on me, Jude." he said, shifting the bag of groceries to his other arm. "What about drawing and official documents?"

Alvin ruffled the teen's hair once more. "Well, this kid over here drew all over his--"

*SLAP*

Jude slapped a hand over Alvin’s mouth by pure instinct. Ludger's eyes widened a bit in surprise and quickly grabbed the back of Jude's collar, dragging him toward the entrance. "Okay, never mind! That's enough for the day! Sorry, but thanks for taking care of Jude today, Alvin!" 

"Ludger! Let me go!" Jude complained, struggling to get out of Ludger's strong grip. Alvin rubbed his slightly swollen cheek as he waved with his other hand, not sure what to say. Although it seemed unusual, Jude normally would hit Alvin to hide his embarrassment.

"Man, that kid is getting stronger by the day..." Alvin muttered as the two disappeared into the building.

._._._._._.

"Lulu!" Jude cried as he spotted his favorite gray and white, fat cat sleeping on the floor. He paused for a moment to place his bag on a chair. Ludger heard the door close behind him as he placed the bag of groceries on the table and watched Jude with a smile. Jude practically scooped up the dozing cat and plopped on the couch, cuddling with her. While Jude was busy with Lulu, Ludger peeked into his bag and pulled out the only workbook in there.

He pressed his lips together to stifle a laugh as he opened to the most recent page. Just as he expected, Jude had drawn all over it. No matter how many times Julius scolded him, it could never stick to him. Heck, even Ludger tried, but Jude couldn't break the habit. He looked up to see Lulu squirming in Jude's arms.

"I guess he'll grow up a bit sooner or later." he said to himself. Closing the book, he placed it on the dining table and gave Jude a smile. "Want to help me make lunch, Jude?" 

The teen looked up with his usual cheery smile, "Of course!"

Within ten minutes, they had a pot of mabo curry (with tomatoes of course) sitting on top of the dining table. Ludger served Jude with a bowl with the many faces of Lulu on the outside, and served himself in a matching bowl. As odd as it sounded, the bowls really were hand painted by Jude. Of course, Ludger didn’t mind; it gave a bit of decorations in the used to be plain white bowls. Surprisingly enough, Julius allowed it anyway, saying, “Beats buying decorative ones.” 

“How was work today, Ludger?” Jude asked after swallowing his fifth spoonful. The older man gave him a short shrug of his shoulders. 

“Oh, the usual.” was his answer. Jude could tell that Ludger was hiding a few things, but he decided not to question it as usual. “My assignment today was easy. And the paperwork was a breeze.”

“So, that’s why you came home early!” Jude said, placing his spoon down. He looked pretty excited. “Does that mean we could train today?”

Ludger suppressed a frown and tilted his head slightly, “Unnn…how about we play a game of chess?” 

Jude looked a bit crestfallen. “Chess? Again? But we just played that yesterday!”

The older man held up a finger with a small smirk. “You can never have too much of it.”

The teen scowled. “…Never mind. I’ll just work on the other workbooks I have.”

Ludger laughed as they slowly settled into a comfortable silence to finish their lunch. Soon, Ludger found himself washing dishes while Jude set aside a wrapped bowl for Julius in the fridge. Once Jude was finished, he paused to look at Ludger’s back as a question formed at the tip of his tongue.

“Hey, Ludger?” he began hesitantly. The older man tossed a quick glance over his shoulder with a curious hum of acknowledgement, encouraging Jude to go on. The teen didn’t hesitate a moment longer. “Why doesn’t Julius let me go to school? I mean, I don’t mind being homeschooled and all, but it just made me wonder.”

Ludger bit the back of his lip as he rinsed the last dish and placed it to the side to dry. Grabbing a towel, he turned around to face Jude. It was true. Jude never actually went to school before; he was always homeschooled. In all honestly, Ludger himself had no idea why Jude never went to a public school like he did. They always listened to Julius since he was the older one. 

“Well, I’m not sure. I always thought it was because you got sick a lot in primary school, but now that I think about it…” Ludger trailed off and took a good look at Jude. The teen was still a bit pale, but that was a given since he barely left the house, and he was thin. Not very thin, but thin enough. Jude stood with his back straight, but his stance casual. If anything, no one would actually believe that the teen was sickly before. Unfortunately, Ludger could faintly see the thin white scar peeking from underneath Jude’s jacket. There was more, but he was happy that the teen didn’t have a scar that couldn’t be covered by clothes. “…You are healthy enough to go to school. It’s been about ten years already.”

Ludger placed a hand on his hip and shifted his weight into one leg with an uneasy smile. “But, with the things you’re learning from Julius and his workbooks, you’re definitely beyond the grade level you’re supposed to be in.”

Jude shrugged his shoulders. “Grade level? Shouldn’t a sixteen-year-old like me know what differential equations are?” 

“…Even I don’t know that Jude and I’m twenty.” Ludger said after a moment. The teen gave a sheepish laugh before settling on the couch.

“Right, maybe staying home isn’t so bad.” He said as Lulu leapt up into his lap. Ludger just shook his head in amusement and began to finish up his chore. 

._._._._._.

A few hours later into the evening, Ludger looked up from the T.V. when he heard the front door slide open. There, just entering the house, was his older brother, Julius. The man’s short, brown hair was a bit messy and his blue eyes were slightly tired, but he had a relieved smile on his face. 

“Ah, welcome home, Julius.” Ludger greeted from his place on the couch. Julius gave him a happy wave with his gloved hand as a greeting. 

“I’m home!” he said. He glanced at the dining table and spotted Jude’s math workbook. “Oh, did Jude already finish the lesson I assigned him today?” 

Ludger shrugged and got up to stand next to Julius. The older brother flipped the book open and grimaced. He spotted all of the penned tomato vines, chibi-versions of Jude and himself, and of course, Lulu. He heaved a sigh as he shook his head. 

“Again? Seriously, he’s developed a bad habit.” Julius said. Ludger laughed and patted his brother’s shoulder. 

“Ahahaha, well, this is Jude we’re talking about.” he reminded. 

Julius pinched the bridge of his nose and addressed Ludger. “Can you go and get the answer key in my room?” 

“Yup!” 

As Ludger headed into Julius’s room, Julius took a peek into Ludger’s shared bedroom. Although he couldn’t see with the lights out, the lights from the living room provided just enough to vaguely see the youngest member of their family. Jude was sleeping in one of the beds against the wall with Lulu curled up next to him. Julius wasn’t surprised when he spotted a book about something near his hand. Shaking his head in amusement, he quietly stepped away from the doorway and meet with Ludger at the dining table once more. 

“When did Jude fall asleep?” he asked. Ludger reached into his pocket and took out his pocket watch, checking the time. 

“Well…it’s nearly nine. He just fell asleep about fifteen minutes ago.” he answered. He handed Julius a booklet with the answer key. “He said that he was going to wait for you, but I guess he’s tired today.” 

Julius had a worried frown on his face. “Wait, is it one of those days again?” 

Ludger headed to the fridge and took out Julius’s saved bowl of curry with an uneasy look. “I think it might have something to do with his Spirit Artes, but I could be wrong.” 

“Well, we’ll see.” Julius assured as he checked Jude’s answers with his answer key. By the time Ludger reheated the curry, Julius took a seat at the table with a proud smile on his face. 

“All correct again?” Ludger asked as he placed the bowl of mabo curry in front of him. Julius gave him a look. 

“As expected from our youngest brother.”


	2. Dumplings?

Chapter 2: Dumplings?

"Lulu's fat." Jude stated rather bluntly. The white and grey cat meowed offensively as she flicked her tail at him. She seemed to be glaring at him as he leaned over the dining table and glared at the yellow sticky note on top of his math workbook. Ludger looked up from the tomato omelet he was frying and glanced at Lulu. He couldn't help a smile as he agreed with Jude.

"I guess that means she's back to cat food." said Julius from behind his newspaper. The youngest Kresnik would've openly agreed with him if he didn't read the sticky note. He tuned out his older brothers as he tapped the cover of his workbook. There, on the yellow sticky note, were a few words from Julius, even though his older brother was sitting right in front of him. It read: _"NO more drawing in these books. Or else I'll double your assignments for the rest of the month. ~Julius."_

...Exactly how was Jude supposed to do that?!

He chewed on his bottom lip as he thought of a way to prevent himself from drawing in his workbook again. There was absolutely no way he was going to double his workload! He did like his free time to play with Lulu and hang out with Ludger when his brother came home from work.

"Jude, are you alright?" Julius asked. Jude lifted his head to see Julius folding his newspaper with a concerned look on his face. "You seem a little quiet this morning."

"I'm fine." he answered automatically as he avoided Julius' eye. No one really liked it when Jude answered anything with an "I'm fine" because more often than not, they were lies. He sat up but kept his arms on the table, reaching for the book. "Do we have an extra notepad or something? I could draw on that instead, right?"

"I think there's one in the cabinet under the T.V., Jude." Ludger said as he placed an omelet on a plate and began to cook another one. The youngest Kresnik stood up and checked for himself. True to Ludger's word, there was one notepad lying innocently on top of a box labeled "Jude's Old Books". The teen blinked at it.

"I thought you got rid of all the children's books I had several years ago." Jude said as he closed the cabinet with the notepad in hand. Julius shrugged and placed the newspaper down while his younger brother flipped open the notepad.

"We're planning to donate it to someone who needs it."

Jude hummed in understanding as he flipped a page over. His expression went from tired to curious in a matter of seconds. On the first sheet was a sketch of Lulu frozen in her place, staring at a tomato. The next had the same picture, just slightly different with Lulu's now slightly bent leg. Turning another page, everything immediately clicked in place. Jude closed the notepad and bent the pad, quickly flipping through the pages.

"...is this a flip comic about Lulu eating tomatoes...?" He flipped all the way to the back and paused. "Wow. There's even a really good sketch of all of us here!"

Julius suddenly looked up with wide eyes. He stiffened when he recognized the notepad in Jude's slightly bony, pale hands. Ludger just finished making a second omelet and turned off the stove for a moment to walk over to Jude, curious about the sketch.

"Oh, wow! You're right. It looks just like us!" Ludger said with a smile. Julius's face tinted red in embarrassment and raised his voice ever so slightly.

"Oi! Come here, Jude. I'll give you your lesson for today." Julius said, getting up from his seat to get something. Jude looked up and pressed his lips together.

"If you're trying to hide the fact that this is your notepad, it isn't working, Julius." he said. He closed the notepad and showed the cardboard back. There, in neat handwriting at the bottom right corner with black ink, was Julius' name. Jude grinned. "Why in the world did you hide it in the cabinet under the T.V.?"

"Ah. I still have to finish cooking breakfast." Ludger muttered to himself, heading back to their kitchen and turning on the stove again. Julius pressed his lips together as he took out a bottle of clear liquid and a measuring cup.

"Never mind that. I'll buy you a notepad later." He said. Jude's light laughter lifted Julius's slightly foul mood by a bit. There was no way the oldest Kresnik could get that annoyed with him. The teen returned the notepad in its rightful place and took his place back at the table.

"So! What's next for today's lesson? Another math? A science?" he questioned Julius as his older brother managed to pour the right amount (normally Ludger did it since Julius would pour over the required amount). Julius handed him the cup and Jude stared at it.

"..."

"...Jude. Take it." Julius ordered. Jude gave him a stare.

"But I don't need it." he said bluntly.

"We've been through this several times, Jude. Whether you are in pain or not, you can't skip out on these. It's that important. Plus, it was hard to wake you up this morning." Julius said, placing the cup on the table before Jude and giving him a serious look.

"No it wasn't! I was just tired." Jude said, crossing his arms.

"Oh, stop being a stubborn child and grow up a bit, will you?" Julius said. He placed a hand on his hip. "It's not going to harm you."

"I'm not a child! I'm sixtee-" Jude began, but Ludger cut them off.

"Breakfast is ready!" the twenty-year-old said. He quickly placed two plates on the table with a happy smile. "Now eat up before it gets cold!" He turned on his heel to get the last plate. "And Jude, if you don't drink that, I won't give you your plate. I'll give it to Lulu."

The youngest Kresnik's jaw dropped. "You wouldn't."

"Lulu!"

"Okay, okay! I'll take it!" Jude exclaimed. He took the cup and paused for moment at his lip before downing it in one go. It tasted sickeningly sweet yet bitter at the same time, it nearly made him gag. His face quickly turned sour and stuck out his tongue. "Ugh...!"

Ludger laughed lightly as he gave Jude his plate, patting his head. "Feeling better?"

"Feeling bitter." Jude answered with a small glare.

Julius shook his head and sat down at the table. "Thanks, Ludger."

"Aheheh...Now, let's eat!"

After about fifteen minutes of breakfast (and feeding Lulu cat food), Jude found himself reading a book about the history of Rieze Maxia. He didn't know much about it, but he did know that the people there could use something called "Spirit Artes". As far as he was concerned, he knew for a fact he couldn't use those Artes because he was an Elympion. He looked up when he heard Julius clicking his pocket watch closed.

"All ready to go?" Jude asked, getting up from the couch to see him out.

"Yup! I need to hurry...Oh, Ludger! I need that pocket watch back." Julius said as he paused before the front door. Ludger gave him an odd look.

"But, you just gave it to me yesterday morning. You promised-" he began, but cut himself off as his brother held a hand out.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I really need it back." Julius said. Jude and Ludger shared a look of confusion before Jude shrugged with one of his I-have-no-idea-why looks. Ludger sighed heavily and reluctantly stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out the watch. He didn't understand why Julius asked for the clock back. For the past twenty years he's been alive, Ludger never had that pocket watch in his possession for longer than a day. Just yesterday, Julius gave it to him with a promise that it will be his from that day on. Though, for some odd reason, his brother was asking for the watch back.

"Why?" Ludger questioned as he handed over the watch unwillingly. Julius didn't meet his eyes as he took it back.

"I have to go. Ludger, I'll see you in a bit for your exam today. Remember I'm you test advisor, so don't be late." Julius said as he patted Ludger's shoulder. He ruffled Jude's hair, "Jude, read the first five chapters in that book and answer the review questions at the end of each section. No doodling in your workbooks. You guys have a good day!"

Without looking back, he left the apartment, leaving a slightly upset Ludger and a frowning Jude.

"So in other words...do my lesson and be good at Balan's?" Jude asked as he gripped his left wrist with a hand, placing his weight on one leg. Ludger managed a small smile. "Well...about that...Balan sent me a text a little earlier about having a meeting this morning. Alvin also has something to do in Xian Du, so..."

"I stay home with Lulu?" Jude asked, tilting his head to one side. "Does Julius know about this?"

"It seems so. I'll try to come back as soon as I'm done with everything. Hopefully I'll pass, so that might mean I'll be there for a few hours. Can I trust you to stay here at home until noon?" Ludger asked. Jude felt Lulu rub her face on his jeans and he automatically swatted down. He grabbed Lulu's front paws (who meowed in defiance) and waved it in front of Ludger.

"Don't worry, Ludger! We'll be fine." Jude said as he moved her paws back and forth like a living puppet.

Ludger couldn't help the smile on his face. Even when the day didn't start out that great, Jude always managed to brighten the day. "Alright, I trust you."

Jude just smiled and hugged a meowing Lulu as Ludger hurried to their shared room to get ready. "That reminds me, when are you going to teach me how to use those extra dual blades in our room?"

Ludger's voice was a bit faint as he answered. "These old ones?"

"Yeah, you said you'd teach me!" Jude said as he stood, picking up Lulu and hugging her close. The fat cat squirmed to feel a bit more comfortable. Ludger left his room and headed to the door.

"Um...I'm not sure about today, but once I have time this week, I'll teach you some moves." he said as he adjusted his neck tie. Jude chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before answering.

"If Julius would let me, that is." Ludger gave him an assuring smile and scratched Lulu's head.

"If not, I'll try to convince him." He said. He looked at the clock and paled. "Crap! I'll be late! I'll call you in a bit to make sure everything is alright, okay?"

Jude nodded, knowing that Ludger switched to Holy-crap-I'm-late mode.

"Okay, good. See you later, Jude!" Ludger quickly rushed out the door and dashed down the hall to the elevator. Jude and Lulu peeked their heads out the door to watch Ludger accidentally hit the "up" button instead of the other.

"Ah...Try to have a good day, Ludger!"

For a moment there, Jude doubted things would get better for Ludger.

._._._._._.

Two hours later, Jude noticed something was off. On days he was by himself, usually Lulu would be with him curled up on his lap, but today...Lulu wasn't there. A twinge of fear nipped at him. If there was one thing he absolutely hated, it was being left alone completely. Trying to not panic, he checked under the dining table, his room, Julius's room, the bathroom and even her cat tower, but she wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Lulu...? Where are you, Lulu?" Jude called through the apartment. He stood in the living room and waited for the familiar mew. Several seconds later, he came to a quick conclusion. "Crap."

Without a second thought, Jude grabbed his jacket and pulled it on as he leapt on one foot to put on his shoes. If he left now, then hopefully, Lulu wouldn't have gone too far. Once he was set, he checked if he had his GHS before leaving the house completely. He easily greeted anyone passing him with a friendly smile as he rushed out of the apartment.

Jude searched in the park and looked around for the familiar fur of Lulu. He went to the Commercial District, biting his lip in worry. If he didn't find Lulu soon, then-

***Riiiinng! Riiiiing!***

He panicked when his phone rang in his pocket. Jude frantically retrieved it and flipped it open, paling instantly at the incoming call.

Ludger.

By habit, Jude answered it. "Hi, Ludger!"

He mentally face palmed. Now what?!

 _"Jude-"_ Ludger began, but cut himself off for a moment before sighing heavily. Jude bit his lip. He could already see him face palming on the other side. _"...alright, where are you?"_

"W-what do you mean? I'm at home!" Jude said as he searched frantically for Lulu, desperate to go home.

_"Then what's all the background noise?"_

"Mutton! Fresh mutton!" called a food vendor. Jude paled even further. Crap, he forgot about that shop owner that always shouted about food...!

"A-aaaah...it's just the T.V!" Jude spluttered.

_"Juuuuuuuuude..."_

Just then, he spotted a familiar ball of fur waving a tail in the air. Standing before the cat was a tall, black-haired man wearing a black coat holding a box of something. Jude's eyes widened when he recognized the cat.

"Ah! Lulu! Found her! Sorry, I gotta go!"

_"Ju-"_

He hung up, flipping his GHS closed and taking off. "Lulu!"

Several people gave him an odd look as he passed them. Without thinking, he snatched up Lulu and hugged her close, somehow avoiding her claws.

"Meow!"

"Lulu! Don't disappear on me like that again! I got scared when you left me all alone." Jude said, scolding her. He looked at the tall man and blinked at the pastry in his offered hand. Immediately, it clicked in Jude's head. "Are you trying to make Lulu fatter?"

The tall man started at him for a moment before answering. "I was merely offering the cat some food. Would you like to try one?"

Jude looked at the dumpling in his hand and blinked. He looked at the man and back at the dumpling, repeating the process two more times. Finally, he stared at the man with a straight face.

"They look like you." he said bluntly. The man did not falter.

"Yes, but I'm Erston Outway." he said.

Jude gave him a weird look. "Um..."

"Would you like one?"

"Ah..." Jude looked at the dumpling then at Lulu. She mewed and licked his wrist, silently giving him a message. He instantly understood.

"Thank you, Erston..." Jude said, politely as he took one from him. He took a bite and paused. His eyes widened in surprise as a burst of sweet bean and pastry goodness flooded his mouth. "Woah! What is this? This is really good! Where did you get this from?!"

Erston had a ghost of a smile on his face. "They're Gaius Dumplings sold exclusively at Kanbalar."

Jude allowed Lulu to take a bite as he tilted his head. "Kanbalar? Where have I heard that before...?"

"It is in Rieze Maxia, young man." said a new voice. The two turned to see an elderly man with a dark blue overcoat and gray gloves. His white hair was tied back in a neat ponytail and his dark eyes were behind a pair of black-framed glasses. Jude could easily tell that he was not just old, but strong. The way the man held himself was friendlier than Erston, but he was obviously (well, to Jude) a cautious man. The elderly man smiled at Jude. "Judging by your reaction, you never have been to Rieze Maxia."

"...Well...no. But, I've only read it in a book just earlier. It sounds nice, though." Jude said as he went to take another bite of the remaining dumpling, only to find his hand empty. He looked down to see Lulu licking her paw. "Hey! Lulu!"

"Ohohoho," the old man laughed, heartily. Erston had a ghost of a smile on his face. Though the man had a stern exterior, he always had a soft spot for children; and Jude was no exception.

"Oh, right! I forgot to introduce myself. That's rude of me." Jude said with a quick bow of his head. He held out a hand toward the two older men with a happy smile. "I'm Jude Kresnik. It's a please to meet you."

The old man shook his hand first and nearly froze in shock. For it split moment he felt a large amount of mana in the small teen's hands. Though, he was quick to cover up his shock and manage a friendly smile. If Jude noticed, then he didn't react at all. "And I am Rowen J. Ilbert, a traveling companion of this man here." Rowen gestured to Erston with a slight tilt of his head. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jude Kresnik."

"Just Jude is fine, sir. It feels weird for someone to address me by my full name..." Jude said, releasing his hand first to hold Lulu again (she was slipping from his grip).

"Then Rowen is fine as well." Rowen said as he placed his hands behind his back. In the back of his mind, something was nagging him. The teen before him was off. He didn't know what, but Jude was certainly more than just a normal child. "If you don't mind me asking, shouldn't you be in school?"

Jude hummed in confusion as he titled his head. "School?"

"Unless I am mistaken," Erston began as he crossed his arms, "children your age should still be at school at this hour."

"Ah-aaahhh. I don't go to school." Jude answered with a half-hearted smile. He placed Lulu down but kept her near as he petted her. He looked up at the two men. "I'm homeschooled."

"Homeschooled?" Erston asked. Jude nodded as Rowen bowed slightly to look at the teen with curiosity.

"For how long, if you don't mind me asking."

Jude hummed as he let his gaze fall on something in a distance, not really seeing. "Hmm...Well, it's been a while, so it's about...ten years or so?"

Rowen and Erston shared a look. They truly encountered one odd child, indeed.

"That's a bit strange. Usually children in Elympios go to a school. From what I've heard." Rowen added.

The teen opened his mouth to answer when his GHS rang again. His expression quickly dropped into dread as he reached into his pocket.

"Ahaha...one moment please!" Jude excused himself. Erston held up a hand.

"Take your time, Jude." he said. Without a moment to waste, Jude answered his GHS without looking at the caller ID. "Hello?"

 _"Jude, I just finished everything I needed to do, so, I'll pick you up."_ came Ludger's voice. Jude paused for a moment and blinked.

"P-pick me up?" he asked. Rowen shared a glance with Erston. The stern (yet kind) man merely held an expression that said, "Just wait."

 _"Yeah, I know you're not home and you went out looking for Lulu. I'm almost there so, please, **please** stay in one place until I find you, okay?"_ Ludger asked his brother. The teen nodded, forgetting that Ludger couldn't see him.

"Okay, I'll stay put. See you soon, Ludger!" Jude said, hanging up after hearing his brother's bye. He looked back up at the two men. "Um...I hope you don't mind if I hang out with you guys a little while longer? My brother can be really overprotective."

"Of course, Jude. We wouldn't mind at all." Rowen said. He gestured to the closest bench. "Why not take a seat there?"

Jude agreed and sat with Rowen while Erston stood. Lulu was curled up on him lap, almost as if Jude was her cushion. Well...if he wasn't already.

"So, you guys are Rieze Maxians?" Jude asked as he looked at Rowen and Erston.

"Yes, we are." Erston answered, bluntly. Jude leaned back as he ran a hand through Lulu's fur.

"What's it like there? Is there a lot of life there? Like trees and flowers?" he asked, eagerly. It was easy for Jude to imagine places full of vegetation, even though he lived in Elympios. With his imagination, anything was possible. Though, he wanted to know if it was true, that all that life wasn't just a figment of his imagination.

Rowen laughed at Jude's childish curiosity. "Why, of course! There's several placed that have trees and flowers. Take the Sapstrath Deepwood, for example. It's full of giant trees of all sorts of shapes and sizes."

"Really?! Oh, now I really want to see it with my own eyes!" Jude said, hope full in his voice. But, oddly, that spark of hope died a second later, almost as if reality dawned on him. "But..."

"But...?" Erston prompted, crossing his arms. Jude bit his lip for a moment as his hand stopped in Lulu's fur, making the cat look at him. If one looked close enough, one could say that the cat looked almost worried.

"Well, if I could, then would you take me to see the Deepwoods sometime? That is, if you ever come by again." Jude asked. His excitement was dulled, but it was still there. Rowen gave him a reassuring smile and patted his shoulder politely.

"When we come by again, Jude, we should." he answered.

"Rowen." Erston said sternly. Jude flinched at the tone of his voice. He certainly wasn't used to that! Rowen laughed heartily.

"Jude!"

All three (and Lulu) looked to see Ludger jogging over to them. Jude smiled with renewed energy and waved a hand over his head. "Ludger!"

The older Kresnik bowed his head once and gave an apologetic smile.

"Ah! I'm sorry if my brother bothered you or caused you any trouble. I'm Ludger Kresnik. Jude's older brother." he said, thinking that it would be polite to introduce himself at the very least. He certainly didn't want to appear rude. Rowen got up and placed his hands behind his back with that friendly smile on his face.

"Oh, no, no. He was no trouble at all. In fact, we enjoyed his company." he said. Lulu leapt out of Jude's lap and rubbed against Ludger's leg. Jude got up and gave polite bows to Erston and Rowen.

"Thank you for letting me stick with you guys and for finding Lulu!" he said, cheerfully. Erston unfolded his arms and gave Jude a nod.

"I'll see you around, Jude."

"Thank you again!" Ludger thanked once more.

"Bye, Rowen! Bye, Erston!" Jude stayed close to his brother and they began to chatter about something. As soon as he lost them in the crowd, Rowen's smile dropped a little bit. He turned to look at Erston who stared after the two.

"That boy... he doesn't seem to be an Elympion." Erston said, eyes narrowing slightly. Rowen hummed in agreement.

"Yes...he looked more of a Rieze Maxian and that feeling earlier..." Rowen paused and looked at his hand, remembering the surge of mana he felt from the teen.

"What is it, Rowen?" Erston gave him a look of curiosity.

"...I felt an unusual amount of mana from him a bit earlier." Rowen said, uneasy about this whole thing. The more he looked at it, the more things didn't make sense. How could an Elympion have that much mana?

Erston frowned a bit. "Hm...We'll figure this out later. We still have lots of work to do, Rowen."

Rowen kept his composure as he nodded in agreement. "Right, of course, Erston."


	3. A Little Girl?

Chapter 3: A Little Girl?

"Absolutely not!" Julius said as he gave his brothers a look. A few hours after Jude and Ludger came home, they decided to take the chance to ask the oldest Kresnik for permission to teach the youngest how to fight. Although, it wasn't going the way as they hoped... Jude sighed in disappointment and leaned back in his chair while Ludger placed a hand on the table.

"But, Julius-" Ludger began, but was cut off.

"It's not happening. Jude shouldn't have to know how to fight. There's no reason to!" Julius said, getting up, "we're living in a time of peace, Ludger."

"Julius, if you would just-" Ludger tried once more, but his brother was quick to cut in again.

"I said no." Julius said firmly with finality clear in his voice. Jude frowned and gave him a look as Lulu jumped onto his lap.

"Then why wouldn't you teach me?" he asked him, petting Lulu. "You've been against it for years now."

"Jude, one day you'll understand, but right now, I just want you to trust me on this." Julius said, trying hard to keep his voice leveled.

"You've been saying that for years, too, Julius." Ludger said. "He's not sick anymore."

"I agree with Ludger. I mean, I haven't caught a cold for a year now!" Jude added. He really wanted to know how to at least defend himself and anyone he cares about if he needed to. He didn't want to be the weak one. If Julius was that against it, then he'll find a way to change that!

...Somehow.

"No, but you caught a fever just last week, which was unusually high; and skipped out on your dose for two days a month ago, which caused Balan so much trouble because you wouldn't wake up from your 'tiny' nap; and you're telling me you've gotten better?" Julius countered. Jude's shoulders slowly fell and his hope dwindled a bit. Sure, he hadn't caught a cold, but Julius just had to point out all the other times he slipped up. The fever was inevitable, but he really didn't mean to skip out on his medication for two days... He actually thought he didn't need it anymore, but he was wrong...

Julius sat back down and looked at the clock. It was nearly nine. He sighed. "Alright, that's enough for today, Jude, go to bed."

"But-" Jude began but instead of Julius cutting him off, it was Ludger.

"No, he's right." Ludger said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Go ahead. I'll try to convince him."

"...hmmm, fine." Jude said reluctantly. The youngest Kresnik got up and hugged his brothers good night. The two older brothers waited until the teen finished getting ready for bed and disappeared into his shared room with Lulu trailing behind him before resuming their talk.

"Seriously, why not?" Ludger asked. Julius sighed.

"Jude's body can't handle the strain of fighting and you know that." he said.

"Then why not make him stronger? If he builds up his strength, then maybe he can be completely normal again. Well, as normal as he could get." Ludger said, sounding a bit hopeful. Julius pressed his lips together in a tight frown. There was a long pause as Julius gave him a look that just said, "too risky".

"...are you worried that it might happen again?" Ludger asked hesitantly. The silence that followed after gave him his answer. Julius sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. For a moment, he looked older than his actual age of twenty-eight.

"Ludger, I don't want to see either of you like that again. He was only a six-year-old who almost died because of my slip up. You fell into a river and nearly drowned. I won't let that happen again. I'm not going to risk it anymore. Not with you, and especially not Jude." Julius said. "Besides, you have a job at the train station's cafeteria, which is a whole lot safer than being an Agent at the Spirius Corp."

"Julius, you were the one who taught me how to fight," Ludger began, "I only learned because I wanted to protect you and Jude. Not just myself. I'm sure Jude is the same way. He probably doesn't want to be our 'baby' brother anymore."

Julius sighed once more and scratched the back of his head. "...Ludger, I'm not just worried about Jude's health, but also his Spirit Artes, not Mystic Artes like most Elympions. I don't know what would happen if he ends up using it. We don't even know how to use Spirit Artes for that matter."

"What if we can find someone who can teach him how to use it? It would be safer that way, and you wouldn't have to worry as much." Ludger suggested. His older brother stared at him for a moment.

"But we don't know anyone who is or knows a Rieze Maxian..." he trailed off when a certain brown-haired businessman appeared in his head. Just by looking at Ludger's smile, he could tell the same person popped in his as well.

"Alvin!" Ludger said enthusiastically. Julius frowned.

"Oh, damn it."

Ludger grinned in triumph and got up. "Well, that settles it! Jude will start learning how to use it once we meet Alvin again. Good night, Julius!"

The older Kresnik grumbled a bit before finally giving in. "Fine. Good night, Ludger."

He, without a doubt, lost this time around.

._._._._._.

_He was scared. It was raining and they were here. The sounds of gunshots and metal made him run faster. In his arms was the only hope he and his brother had. His niece gripped his coat tightly in fear of falling off. The rain was soaking them thoroughly and he hoped that she wouldn't get sick._

_"Where's daddy?" She wailed, looking behind him. He didn't answer her as he came to a stop at the dock behind their house. He placed her down, trying to keep his expression calm as she still held his sleeves, "No! Don't leave me, too!"_

_"Shh, it's okay, it's okay! I'm just going to turn on the boat, alright? I'll be close." he assured her._

_She shook her head, "No, I don't want to leave! I'm not leaving daddy!"_

_"Please, Elle, I'm not asking you, I'm telling you to stay right here and Daddy will be here in a minute." He told her, running into boat. He heard Elle whimper in fear as he turned on the boat and checked if there was anyone on board. Luckily, he saw no one and leapt right back into the dock. Elle immediately clung to him when she spotted a group of shadows in the fog._

_"Damn it..." he muttered to himself as he held Elle protectively. He could fight them off, but he didn't have much strength left. How could he-_

_"Elle!" called a familiar voice. They both watched in relief as Elle's daddy appeared first._

_"Daddy!"_

_He released Elle and allowed her to run to her dad, who swept her off her feet and hugged her dearly._

_"Elle, it's okay, daddy's here now." her daddy assured her. He looked up at him with reluctant eyes. "Juu, we need to do this now."_

_The girl's uncle, Juu, nodded and reached for the golden chain, pulling out a watch out of his pocket. "Victor, use mine and give yours to Elle."_

_Her daddy, Victor, nodded and pulled out his own watch, kneeling on one knee in front of his scared daughter. "Elle, you can read clocks now, right?"_

_"Y-yeah, but daddy-" she was cut off by Juu._

_"That's our girl!" he said as he patted her head encouragingly, but his praise did little to comfort her._

_"But, Uncle Ju-"_

_"Elle, we're going on a small trip okay? I need you to board the ten o'clock train in the town you arrive in, understand? It'll take you to the Land of Canaan." Victor cut in, placing his watch around her neck like a necklace. Elle looked at her daddy._

_"The Land of...Canaan? J-just me? What about Uncle Judie and daddy?" she asked him. Juu swallowed slightly when the shadows behind them cleared into a group of armed men._

_"They're over there!"_

_"Don't let them escape!"_

_Juu quickly grabbed Elle's hand and pulled her back, nearing the edge of the dock. Elle didn't even have the chance to cry when he knelt down and smiled at her. "Can you do that for us, Elle? If you can, we'll all see each other again. Even your mother will be there."_

_"But-"_

_Victor got up and stood before their enemy, giving her a brief glance. "Elle, go ahead. Daddy and Juu will be right behind you, okay?"_

_"No, daddy-" she cut herself off as Juu got up and picked her up, taking her into the boat. He placed her down with that smile still on his face._

_"Remember, don't miss the ten o'clock train!" he reminded her, insistently. She barely had the time to reply as he quickly blocked off her exit and got the boat moving. Gunshots started firing and he could hear Victor doing his best to deflect the bullets. He forced himself to jump off the ledge and land on the dock as he heard Elle begging him to stay. He straightened himself and felt Victor bump into his back, still protecting him._

_"Elle! We'll see you soon! Daddy and Uncle will be right behind you! Don't forget that!" Victor yelled at the top of his lungs. Juu discretely placed his bronze pocket watch in Victor's back pocket. He staggered and he could feel his brother trying hard to keep the bullets away._

_"Daddy! Uncle Judie!"_

_"Are you sure sending her on her own was a smart idea, Luu?" Juu asked through gritted teeth. His body was beginning to tire, reminding him of the limited strength he had. The world around him spun dangerously and he could feel his consciousness wavering._

_"Ahaha, no, but it's the only hope we have now, Juu." He said as he kept missing bullets. Jude turned around and managed to get a glimpse of what they were up against. Ten people with guns and completely surrounded. Great. Juuuust Great._

_He quickly threw his hands before him and did the only thing he could. An icy blue magic circle appeared with him in at its center and the waters behind him churned. Silently, he begged to the spirit that lived in the water to help them. The spirit didn't hesitate as it lent its water to Juu._

_The circle disrupted for a split second as he felt a bullet bury itself into his side, right under his lung. He lost his concentration for a second as pain practically slapped him in the face. Stopping a cry, he bit his lip and refocused on his Arte. He didn't even mutter the name of the Arte he did, since the name wouldn't come to him. He never used water before in an Arte so he was actually expecting it to fail._

_Contrary to his belief, a cascade of water formed before Victor smacked into the group of armed people. Cries of gurgled surprise and shock were drowned out by the slamming water._

_"...Thank you..." Juu muttered as he sunk down to his knees, the pain coming back in full force._

_"Juu, no!" He barely heard Victor yell at him as he was caught by strong arms._

_"Damn it...!" Victor cursed, taking advantage of the opening Juu gave him. Gritting his teeth, Victor pulled out Juu's watch and tapped into its power. Juu heard the reassuring voice of his brother._

_"I swear we'll get out this mess together."_

_Victor watched in dismay as Juu stared up at the sky and held up a shaking hand. The rain washed the blood from his hand and hid his tears. "P-please, Chronos, guide Elle to him...!"_

._._._._._.

"Have fun at work, Ludger!" Jude called as Ludger rushed out of the door in a hurry. It was his first day at his new job and he was already late. Jude couldn't help but shake his head at Ludger's predicament.

"I swear, I don't know who has the worst habit. You or your brother." Julius said as he picked up both watches on the dining table. Jude laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Ahahaha, good question." he said. Julius pocketed both watches and began to prepare for work.

"Jude, I'll be leaving in just a bit and Alvin is still on a business trip. Balan is on a tight schedule today so you'll have to stay here again. I really hope you don't do anything dumb while we're gone." He said as he disappeared into his room.

Jude rolled his eyes while Lulu meowed. "I'm not going to do something stupid, I promise."

The older Kresnik stepped out of his room with a coat he always wore and gave Jude a look. "No, really, don't."

"I got it, I got it." Jude said offhandedly as he closed his book and stood up from his place on the couch. Julius gave him a huffed smile and patted his head.

"Alright, then. I'll see you when I get home." He told him. Jude wished his brother a good day as he left for work. After a few minutes, Jude sighed and placed a hand on his hip.

"Great, another boring day, I'm sure." He muttered to himself. Shaking his head, he walked right into his room and placed the book about Rieze Maxia on his nightstand. Lulu leapt onto his bed and curled up right smack in the middle. "Darn it, Lul-"

**_"Jude."_ **

A sudden odd sensation made Jude jerk his head toward the window. Outside, there wasn't anything really worth noticing. Just the normal scenery of the busy town below and the blue sky above. Although, he couldn't shake the feeling of someone calling him. Confused, he looked at Lulu who just rolled onto her side and stretched her legs.

"What in the world...?" Jude questioned silently. He looked down when he felt his wrist warm up a little. His glass beaded bracelet glowed a gentle light as the voice came again.

**_"Jude, find her."_ **

Jude spun on his heel and looked around him, searching for the voice. "Who are you?!"

At the edge of his sight, he caught a glimpse of bronze. He looked at it and blinked. A bronze watch sat on top of his pillow innocently. Lulu only meowed as she flicked her tail at the watch, silently telling him to take it. Jude bit his lip and picked up the watch. The metal was cool to the touch and looked everything like Julius's watches, except the color. When he clicked it open, he noticed that the watch didn't tick. It was frozen ten minutes before three.

Jude tilted his head in confusion as he flipped the watch over to see if there was something wrong with it.

 ** _"Find her."_ ** Came the voice again. Jude looked up and felt a bit nostalgic. That voice...where had he heard it before? He looked at Lulu, who just licked her paw, as he tried to recall where he recognized it. A sudden image of a field of green grass and clear skies flashed across his eyes for a second. He gasped.

"Chr...Chronos...?" he breathed in surprise. He received no answer when he called the name of the Spirit. It suddenly clicked. Chronos was trying to make him do something.

"Find her...?" Jude asked himself. A sudden urge to leave got his feet moving. Stuffing the watch into his pocket, he grabbed his black jacket and threw it on. "Come on, Lulu! We're heading out!"

Lulu meowed and leapt off his bed, scampering after him. Jude made sure he had his GHS before heading out the door. Before he even realized what he was doing, he was already outside in the park. Lulu bounded ahead of him and he just decided to follow her. He had no idea where to begin finding whoever Chronos wanted him to find, so he figured Lulu would have to do.

"Hey, you!" called a voice. Jude came to a stop and turned around in surprise. A girl with short brown hair and green eyes pointed at him with such vigor it startled Jude. "I need you help!"

"E-Eh? Hold on, who are you?!" Jude asked with a panicked voice.

"I'm Leia Rolando, and I'm a reporter who's in a jam!" the girl said with a worried tone. "Something just came up and I have this ticket that I got to do a story on the newest train, but I just got a call from my boss and he needs to see me right now!"

"A-and your point?" Jude asked, taking a step back from her.

"Please take this ticket!" she asked him as she presented him the said train ticket. Jude was struggling to say something.

"Ah, uhm, but I, uh..." he trailed off as she just suddenly grabbed his hand and stuffed the ticket into it.

"Just take it! Thank you! Bye!" Leia said happily before taking off in some random direction. Jude just stood there in stock still in shock, barely understanding what in the world just happened.

"B-but I..." he began, but it was too late. She was long gone.

"Uncle Judie!" Cried a voice. Jude didn't bother to look up as he stared at the ticket in his hand. Why in the world would a cheery girl he never met give him a train ticket?!

"Uncle Judie!" came the voice again.

"Eh?!" Jude finally looked as he felt a tug on his jack behind him. There, giving him a look of hope, was a small blonde-haired girl with startling teal eyes. Jude couldn't help but blink at her. She gasped and took a few steps back in surprise.

"You're not...Uncle Judie." she said. Jude was at a loss for words as he stared at the little girl with wide, unbelieving eyes. She wore a black hat with a small teal butterfly at the front, a pink sweater over a mint children's blouse, dark blue leggings with green spots and blue-green shoes. Around her neck was a pocket watch that looked eerily familiar.

"U-uhm... Are you lost?" Jude asked, trying to push off the feeling of uneasiness. The girl bowed her head and shuffled her feet.

"I don't know, I think I am." she said with a small voice.

"Where's your parents?"

The little shrugged her shoulders and looked at him shyly. "Not sure, Daddy told me to go and ride the ten o'clock train..."

"Ten o'clock...?" Jude muttered as he looked at the train ticket in his hand. There, in big, bold letters, was **10:00**. "Ah."

"Do you know where the train station is, mister?" the little blonde girl asked him. Jude happily smiled and patted her hat.

"Of course, I do!" he said. He knelt down to her height and held out a hand. "Here, why don't we go together? I can buy you a ticket to get on and we can go together!"

The little girl's eyes light up instantly. "Really?"

"Really." Jude assured. She immediately took his hand and held it tightly in a firm grip. Jude began to lead the way as he swung their hands back and forth a bit. "I'm Jude, what's your name?"

The little girl looked up at him with bright, lively eyes that looked eerily like Ludger's. "I'm Elle!"

"Found her."

Jude paused. "Eh?"

._._._._._.

**Skit: Uncle Judie**

**Elle: hmmm...*Stares***

**Jude: Uhm...is there something on my face?**

**Elle: No... You just remind me of my Uncle.**

**Jude: You mean, Uncle Judie? Why does your uncle have a girl's name?**

**Elle: Because he looks like a girl. You look like him, but you don't.**

**Jude: Eh?**

**Elle: He has long hair and he has pretty eyes like yours! But he's a lot older than you.**

**Jude: Pretty?! Are you sure your Uncle wasn't a girl?**

**Elle: I thought he was but he told me he was a guy.**

**Jude: ...you know I'm a guy right?**

**Elle: You are?!**

._._._._._.

After that little awkward chat the two shared, they made it to the train station with no problem. Jude easily bought her a ticket. A few minutes later, they were about to board the train.

"Here you go! Ready?" Jude asked her. Elle nodded with a happy smile.

"Yeah! To the Land of Canaan!" she said. Jude nearly paused in his step as he looked at her.

"The Land of Canaan?" Jude asked, surprised that a child as young as her would know something like that.

"Daddy and Uncle Judie said that if I ride this train then I get to see them there! I can't wait!" Elle said as she stepped aboard. Jude followed closely behind and found an empty seat for the two of them in the partially filled train car. Just as they sat down, a sudden explosion outside made them both jump.

Screams of terror made Elle freeze up and Jude look out the window. Smoke was everywhere and he waited for it to clear. Just barely, he could make out the familiar features of his brother.

"Ludger!" he cried. He stopped himself when someone entered the car with a gun of some sort. Without even thinking, he grabbed Elle, who cried out, and flattened themselves onto the floor. He hugged Elle tightly when he heard gunshots.

 _'This is definitely not a boring day!'_ he thought to himself. He gritted his teeth and silently begged to Chronos to keep them safe. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he just hoped they would make it out alive.


	4. Attempted Train Hijacking?

Chapter 4: Attempted Train Hijacking?

The moment Ludger ducked, he knew something bad was happening. The force of the explosion made him fly a few feet, dirtying his clothes with soot. He gritted his teeth and tried to see through the smoke. Just faintly, he could see the panicked face of his little brother behind the train's window. For a second he thought nothing of it, remembering that Jude was at home doing his schoolwork.

"Ludger!"

Immediately, Ludger did a double take as his eyes widened in shock. No matter where in the world he was, he would always recognize that voice. _'Jude?!'_

He barely had the chance to understand what happen as several armed people rushed into the train. He watched his brother ducked down with a little girl in his arms as several gunshots were heard. Panic slapped him in the face. He scrambled to his feet and took off to the train, barely making it as the doors hissed closed. He stumbled a bit as the train jerked into motion.

 _'They're still operating the train?!'_ he silently asked himself. Ludger quickly moved to the bolted seats of the train to search for his brother, but stopped himself short. His eyes widened and his jaw slackened in shock at the sight before him. Blood was splattered all over the seats, floors, and walls, and the train car was littered with lifeless bodies. Ludger slowly stood up, hardly believing what he saw as he took a few steps forward.

"Meow..."

Lulu's familiar mew sounded close to him and he snapped his head in the general direction. "Lulu-!"

There, he spotted Jude sitting against the wall with a small girl in his arms. Lulu was meowing fearfully, cuddling near the little girl's back. If anything, Ludger was sure the girl fainted or something along the lines. Jude's honey eyes stared up at Ludger with wide, disbelieving relief. His right hand reached toward his older brother, as if he was unsure. "L-Ludger-nii!"

Immediately, Ludger dropped to his knees, taking his brother's hand and holding it tightly.

"I'm here! I'm right here, Jude. We're going to get out of here safely, okay? I promise." His gaze quickly searched for any injuries. Relief flooded him when he didn't see a drop of blood on him or the girl. Jude visibly calmed a bit and glanced down at the little girl, loosening his grip a bit. "Ludger, what are we going to do? The train's already moving..."

Ludger frowned a bit and glanced at the window above Jude's head. It only made him frown deeper at the sight of the passing scenery. He mentally cursed. The day had only begun and his luck was already in shambles. He really didn't need this!

"Don't worry, Jude, I'll figure something out." Ludger assured his brother with a smile. Although, he was starting to doubt his words. Jude opened his mouth to say something, but Elle's soft muttering caught their attention.

"Da...daddy..." she muttered unconsciously. Jude's expression saddened as he tried to ease her.

"Don't worry, Elle. Ludger-nii and I will bring you home." Jude assured with a soft voice. Ludger couldn't help but feel a little proud of Jude. Even though his little brother rarely interacted with children, Ludger could see Jude being a very good older brother. Ludger's smile faltered a bit when he caught sight of the watch around Elle's neck. Without really thinking, he reached for the watch. Jude gave him a questioning look, but didn't stop him.

"Isn't that-" Ludger began. He cut himself off when his fingers tapped the surface. The golden watch suddenly vanished with golden dust, leaving the brothers gaping in shock. They barely had the chance to say anything as Elle began to wake up. The little girl rubbed her eye as she sat up, trying to focus.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jude asked her. She didn't answer as she took a look around her. Both brothers quickly confirmed that she was still alright before she suddenly gasped. Ludger looked in her direction and gasped. There, heading their way, was one of the armed people he saw with a huge gun. With a jerk of the gun, Ludger automatically threw himself over Jude and Elle. Jude barely had the chance to wonder what they saw before gunshots rang out again, flinching as bullets bounced off. He was shocked (or relieved) that none of the bullets managed to hit them...yet.

Ludger gritted his teeth as the person kept firing. If he didn't do anything soon, they'd die. Once glance at Jude and Elle made him leap into action. He stood up when he heard the split moment of hesitation and glared at the person. The armed person just raised their gun again and fired. They missed terribly as Ludger jumped over the seats to get closer. Using the edge of a nearby seat, Ludger used his momentum to kick the gun with both feet. The person only staggered and moved to attack him once he landed. Ludger was quick to dodge the move, but he quickly found himself hopping around to avoid a hit from his attacker.

He dodged a flying kick last second and found himself staring down the barrel of the gun.

"That skill-are you an agent?" the person asked. Ludger narrowed his eyes and took the opportunity to grab the gun, twisting it. The gun went off as the person pulled the trigger, sending bullet holes through the windows and seats. Ludger vaguely heard Elle scream and Jude yell, "Elle, don't!"

The older Kresnik hoped that the two didn't get hurt as he released the gun and did a flip using the seat wall. He ended up behind his attacker and threw a punch. He mentally cursed as he once again found himself dodging more than attacking. With the way his opponent moved gracefully, he concluded that he was fighting a girl. He didn't really want to fight her, but what choice did he have? At the current moment, it was either fight or die.

Ludger leapt back a bit to dodge another one of her attacks, but then she suddenly switched directions and lashed out with a kick. He quickly realized his mistake, but it was already too late to defend. Ludger cringed when the kick connected to his stomach the moment his foot touched the ground. He stumbled back a few steps and held an arm gingerly over his most likely bruised abdomen.

 _'Holy-she can really kick!'_ he thought to himself as she pointed her gun at him.

"It's over!" she said. Ludger clicked his tongue in frustration. How could he-

"Here!" cried Elle's childish voice. Ludger turned his head to see Jude throwing him a pair of swords with Elle's hands cupping around her mouth. Just as his enemy began to shot, Ludger managed to grab the swords with ease and deflected the bullets. His enemy growled in frustration as she noticed the new weapons in his hands.

With his eyes narrowed, Ludger brandished the swords and rushed forward, finally putting his training into practice. His movements were fluid as he swung the blades to disarm her. The gun flew into the air and landed away somewhere. Even with her disarmed, she moved to try and grab Ludger's neck.

"Ludger-nii!"

Ludger was able to see it before Jude could warn him. He slashed at her arm, leaving a streak of a cut on her arm. Although, she didn't stop there. She reached into her pocket to pull out a knife. Ludger didn't think twice as he leapt in the air to land behind her before giving a blow to the base of her neck with the hilt of his sword. She crumbled to the floor immediately as she lost consciousness, cursing Ludger.

"Damn you..."

Ludger breathed a relieved sigh, finally glad it was over. He looked over to the two kids and smiled. But Jude didn't return his smile as he rushed forward with panic in his eyes. Ludger barely had the chance to stop Jude as he grabbed a sword out of his right hand. Ludger spun on his heel to see someone ready to hit him with a surprise attack.

To his shock, Jude knocked the weapon out of the man's hands with his sword. The force of his blow made his body fall forward. Ludger moved to catch Jude, but he never got the chance as Jude did the unbelievable.

Once his hands touched the ground, Jude used his body's momentum to kick the man off his feet, twisting his arms with ease...almost as if he's done it a million times. Once the man hit the ground, Jude pushed off the floor and ended up on his feet with grace.

Ludger stood rigidly, hardly believing that Jude actually just did that. The said teen rubbed his shin as he huffed to catch his breath, obviously hurting from the kick he delivered. He sheepishly smiled at Ludger.

"S-sorry-"*huff*"-I won't-"*cough*"-do that again." Jude wheezed out while Ludger gaped at him.

"You-" Ludger began, but he was cut off by a sudden applause. The two brothers turned to see a tall, broad-shouldered man with a short woman standing next to him. The man wore a long red coat and a black, professional suit underneath. He had a white goatee and his hair was slicked back. The woman at his side wore a white coat with a big red bow tied at her neck and black slack like pants (for a woman). She her hair was done up in a fancy bun and wore a pair of thin glasses.

"Well, that was quite the performance you boys did." The man said as he lowered his hands. Jude had a look of unease cross his face as he moved behind Ludger. The older Kresnik couldn't help but give him a concerned look before glancing over to Elle. The little girl quickly trotted to their side with Lulu abnormally large in her small arms, tending to stay closer to Jude than Ludger. Of course, Ludger didn't really wonder why. He could clearly see that she trusted Jude more than him.

The three watched as the man approached them.

"I see that you are quite skillful." He said as he looked at Ludger. The older Kresnik just watched him with a slightly curious expression. The man's attention turned to Jude, who was still trying to catch his breath. "And this boy has quite the potential. But I must ask, are you alright? You seem winded from a simple move like that."

"I-I'm fine. Thank you for asking." Jude said politely, subconsciously moving a bit closer to his older brother. Ludger knew that Jude was usually good with interacting with people, but this made him wonder how meeting this person was any different.

"Who are you?" Ludger asked, slightly worried.

"I'm the representative of the Spirius Company, Bisley Karcsi Bakur." The man introduced himself. Jude suddenly perked up a bit.

"Wait, the _President_ of Spirius?" he asked, eyes slightly wide with curiosity. The man nodded to confirm it.

"What are your names?" Bakur asked the two brothers as he stretched a hand out. Jude shared a look with Ludger before answering, not taking the hand.

"Jude Kresnik." Jude said.

"Ludger Kresnik." Ludger said, taking the President's hand for a short shake. The president looked over them.

"You don't look like brothers." He said. Ludger gave a half-hearted laugh.

"Well... I suppose it came from our parents...? Jude said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"...You guys are weird." Elle said. Jude regarded her with a small frown.

"Hey, I'm not all that weird. If anything, Ludger's weirder than me." He told Elle.

Ludger couldn't help but do a double take. "What?"

"So, you're Julius' family?" Bakur asked. Ludger nodded, not sure of what to say.

"Kresnik...?" Bakur muttered to himself as he looked in another direction. His assistant suddenly spoke up.

"It's in the company records. Ludger and Jude are the division leader Julius' younger brothers. Although, their mothers are different." She said, adjusting her glasses.

"Is that so? Then the two of you are like family to me." the President said with a nod. Jude and Ludger couldn't help but share a look of confusion.

"Family, sir?" Jude asked as he clung to Ludger's sleeve. He didn't get an answer though as an odd sound suddenly started up. Elle looked around.

"What was that?" she asked out loud. Ludger didn't know how to answer that so he kept silent. Bakur on the other hand had something to say.

"So it begins...those Exodus." He said with a low voice.

"Exodus?" Elle echoed, putting Lulu don as the cat began to get heavy. Again, Bakur's assistant took over.

"They are a terrorist organization that is against the peaceful dealings with Rieze Maxia and Elympios." She explained. Jude saw Elle's face frown in confusion since she didn't understand. He would've explained it, but Bakur didn't give him the time.

"My company is probably and eye-sore to them since we support the peaceful politics. I'm afraid they're probably planning on running this train right into Oscore." He said. Ludger blinked in surprise.

"What?"

"Wait, that's bad!" Elle exclaimed as she held up her fists close to her chest.

"We have to stop the train!" Ludger said. Elle suddenly grabbed his hand and tugged on him.

"But is it possible? For sure? How?!" she asked him. Jude looked down as his mind quickly went through all that he read about trains. If he could just...

Not even five seconds later, he looked up. "If we could take control of the first car..." he trailed off, already knowing that he didn't need to explain himself. By the looks of it, Ludger already knew what he meant.

"Going for it? Interesting..." Bakur said as he looked over them. Jude tugged on Luger's sleeve, catching his attention.

"Nee, Ludger-nii, let me come. I want to help you." He said, hoping to not be left alone. Contrary to his hope, Ludger shook his head and gently pulled Jude's hand away from his sleeve.

"No, Jude. I can't let you come with me. It's too dangerous." Ludger said, not wanting to get Jude hurt. Due to the strength that Jude displayed earlier, he knew that he wouldn't last long if he was winded with just a move like that.

"But, Ludger-" Jude began, but Ludger cut him off with a look.

"I said no." he said firmly, efficiently shutting Jude up. His little brother gave him a look of disbelief and hurt, but he chose to ignore it as the same sound from earlier came again. He looked over to Elle and then to Bakur. "Can you watch them, please? I can't bring a child with me and Jude's ill."

"I am not-"

"Of course. Vera, give him an allium orb." Bakur said, cutting off Jude. Vera blinked but did as she was told, handing over an Allium orb to Ludger.

"Here. It'll help with fighting with companions as well, but for now, you can use it to develop your abilities. It was originally a Rieze Maxian style of fighting, but it was modified to match Elympios also. Use it well." Vera explained with a push of her glasses. Ludger gave her a thankful nod.

"Alright, thank you, Vera. Be good, Jude!" he said as he gave Jude one last pat on the shoulder before running out of the car.

"No, wait! Ludger!" his little brother called as he reached a hopeless hand after him, but Ludger was far out of reach. Jude couldn't help but feel left out as the door closed behind Ludger's retreating figure. He felt someone pat his shoulder. He looked up to see Bakur gently leading him to sit on a chair.

"Don't worry, your brother can handle himself." He assured him. To be bluntly honest, Jude doubted his words. The President took a seat across from him and gestured to Elle to take a seat too. Lulu leapt up to rest her chubby face on Jude's lap. The little girl didn't sit and instead looked at Jude as Bakur began to talk to his assistant.

"You're sick?" she asked him. Jude felt a hint of annoyance as he gave her a frown.

"No, I'm not." he insisted, scratching Lulu behind her ears. "Ludger is just doing as he was told."

He didn't miss the look that Bakur gave him, but he decided to ignore it in favor of Elle. The little girl hummed at his response and looked down.

"Ahhh! My watch is gone!" she exclaimed. She turned away and began in Ludger's direction. Bakur didn't get up.

"Miss, it's too dangerous to move around..." he told her with his stern voice. Elle didn't even stop as she called over her shoulder.

"Even if it is dangerous, it's too important to me! It's my only way to get to the Land of Canaan!" she said. Lulu jumped off of Jude's lap and scampered off to follow her.

"Ah! Lulu! Elle!" he got up to follow them but was stopped by Bakur's grunt of surprise. Just as Elle left the car with Lulu right behind her, Jude looked at Bakur in surprise as the President got up.

"Well, well, well. Things just turned interesting..." he said out loud. He looked at Jude, who stared at him with slight unease. The assistant looked between the two, curious as to what would happen next. Bakur suddenly offered Jude a small smile. "You want to go after them?"

Jude blinked at the question as if he was caught off-guard. "You're not going to tell me to stay here?"

"Well, if your brother is right, we can't leave a sick child on their own." The assistant said. Jude frowned.

"I'm not sick!"

"If you insist that you are well, then I'm sure you can keep up with my pace then?" Bakur asked. Jude nodded without hesitation.

"I'm certain of it!"

._._._._._.

**Skit: Relations**

**Bakur: Vera, you said that all three had different mothers?**

**Vera: Yes and no, Mr. President. The records show that Jude and Ludger had the same mother.**

**Bakur: Hmm... Then where...?**

**Vera: Mr. President?**

**Bakur: Jude, who do you live with?**

**Jude: Eh? With Julius and Ludger-nii, of course!**

**Bakur: No parents?**

**Jude: *Already several feet ahead* Come on! We need to hurry up if we're going to catch up with everyone!**

**Vera: Is everything alright?**

**Bakur: It's nothing. We need to get going before Jude disappears from our sight.**

._._._._._.

Jude only caught a glimpse of Ludger as he caught up with Elle and Lulu. He scooped up a protesting Lulu to make Elle stop for a moment. "Hey! Don't go leaving me behind..."

"Well, hurry up! I need to find that watch!" Elle said as she ran up the stairs. Jude groaned as he hurried after her.

"Oh, come on!"

He was right behind Elle as she entered the area before the engine room.

"Ah! Do you know where Daddy's pocket watch is?" she asked as she barged in with her eyes searching for the watch. Jude walked after her with a sigh.

"Sorry, Ludger but she-" he froze in midstep when he caught sight of not only Ludger, but Julius, too. Dread threw a pit in his stomach as he could imagine how long Julius would ground him just for being here. He was, after all, _**supposed**_ to be at home studying. "A-ah! Ahahaha...sorry."

Julius didn't give Jude his normal, "What do you think you're doing?!" lecture, but rather, gave him a frown. "Jude? Not you, too."

Shrugging, Jude didn't say anything as he spotted a watch in both of Julius' hands, blinking in confusion. He looked at Ludger, who had a puzzled expression. Was there something he missed?

"As expected of Crown Agent Julius. That was fast work." Bakur said behind Jude. The youngest Kresnik jumped a bit from his sudden (not really) appearance. Jude quickly moved away from the President and stuck close to Ludger with Lulu still in his arms.

"Please stop it with the jokes, President." Julius replied without missing a beat. Bakur narrowed his eyes as he walked past Ludger to close the gap between the brothers. Jude couldn't help but hold Lulu a bit tighter.

"But, to have such a talented little brother and a promising baby brother..." Bakur said as he stopped in front of Julius. Jude would've said something about being called a 'baby brother' if it wasn't for the serious look Julius had on his face. Bakur continued, "...looks like you've been protecting them carefully. That's a kind big brother."

There was a heavy silence as the words seemed to sink in for Julius. Jude couldn't help but notice his brother pulling out his swords with his grip tight. Not even ten seconds later, Julius glared at Bakur.

"That's a given!" he snapped, dashing up to Bakur. He slashed his sword at the President's neck, but the man was quick to dodge it with a back step.

"Julius-nii!" Jude cried as the oldest Kresnik began to attack Bakur. The said President was easily dodging the swings with ease.

"Is that really alright to do in front of your little brothers?" Bakur asked. Julius gritted his teeth and leapt back, putting a distance between the two. He stabbed his swords into the ground and pulled out the gold and silver watches he had. Elle gasped as she recognized one of them.

"Ah! That pocket watch! Ah?!" She gasped as a bright light appeared before her. The light quickly formed into a watch that hung around her neck. Julius faltered when he saw the golden watch. Jude would've paid attention if he didn't spot an Exodus member aiming a gun in their direction.

"Elle!" he yelled, dropping Lulu and grabbing her. He heard the gun fire and braced himself for the bullet, but all he heard was a high pitched twing! He looked up to see Ludger blocking with his sword.

"We won't allow it! Things like merging with Rieze Maxia!" the Exodus member yelled as he fired rounds of bullets. Nobody seemed to notice how the golden watch in Julius' hand flew into the air. Jude gritted his teeth as he tried to think of what to do next. But the same bright light caught his attention as Julius' watch merged with Elle's.

Ludger decided to ignore it as he grabbed Elle's arm to get her out of there. Jude felt his own arm grabbed by Ludger's other hand and he stumbled after him. The light didn't fade as it suddenly grew. Several gear like circles suddenly emitted from the watch and traveled up Ludger's arm. The whole room grew so bright it was blinding. Of course, everyone failed to notice a bronze light in Jude's pocket. Jude barely noticed it either, but he felt something loosen in his body.

Just as suddenly as it happened, Jude found himself swaying on his feet. His eyes were wide as a surge of nausea hit him like a hammer. To his shock, Bakur was there to catch him before he fell to the floor. The light lessened and he suddenly became aware of someone screaming. It was long and pain filled, making Jude cringe at the sound. He bit his lip as he recognized the voice.

"Ludger!" he cried as he reached for his brother screaming in pain in midair. He easily noticed how Ludger's appearance suddenly changed. His arms were covered with something black and there were yellow markings going down both sides of Ludger's face. Although, what caught Jude's attention more was the black, highlighted with yellow lance his brother held.

Ludger lifted the lance without hesitation and threw it at the Exodus member, impaling him to the wall. The man's screams had Jude wincing. Everyone immediately ducked down as the world around them suddenly changed into streaks of black and purple, almost as if it was being sucked in somewhere. Jude gritted his teeth as the world just disappeared around them.

"Ludger-nii! Aniki!" was all he could manage before completely blacking out.


	5. Again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got tired of Jude not calling Ludger or Julius any kind of endearing name or anything... so, I just used the Japanese terms. So, Aniki is Jude's way of saying Julius. Ludger-nii is pretty darn obvious. And Onii-san or Nii-san is Ludger's way of calling Julius. Ahahaha, I hope that helps anyone who isn't very familiar with Japanese. ^^;

Jude felt himself jolt forward. He snapped his eyes open as he jerked his head up. He blinked several times when his surroundings jumped at him. Turning his head around, he realized that he was still in the train. He recognized the bolted train seats of the train car. Slowly, he took note that he was sitting on the floor. He blinked once.

He was back where he started.

"...Wha...what just happened...?" he asked as he spotted his brother shaking his head as he stood up. Elle picked herself off the floor and dusted off her leggings. Jude picked himself up and stumbled a bit as Elle immediately latched onto his arm, hiding behind him. She was giving Ludger a wary look.

"E-Elle...You don't have to be so worried." Jude assured her.

"I am worried!" she cried. Elle pointed an accusing finger at Ludger. "That person, and that watch, they went strange!"

Ludger cringed as Lulu meowed from the side. Jude bit his lip when he couldn't think up a good assurance for her. He watched Ludger lift an unsure hand with a troubled expression on his face. Jude was about to say something when Elle suddenly tugged on his sleeve.

"Ah! They're coming again!" she cried as she pointed her finger. Both brothers immediately looked down the train car to see an Exodus member standing before them. Immediately, Jude stood protectively in front of Elle while Ludger stepped forward with his stance ready for anything.

There was a short moment of silence until the Exodus member slowly collapsed to the ground. Jude blinked in surprise at the person revealed behind the member, instantly recognizing her familiar hat and black hair.

"Nova?!" he asked her. She gave him a quick smile before becoming serious.

"President Verald, this way." Nova said as she looked over her shoulder. The was a short applause as an old, bald man waltzed right into the train car.

"That was impressive, Vera. I wouldn't be surprised if all of the guards looked up to you." he said with a smile on his face. Jude tilted his head.

"...that felt weird..." he muttered. He caught Ludger giving him a curt nod in agreement. Apparently, he thought the same.

"Ludger, what are you doing here?!" Nova asked as she put away her staff. "No, I think the better question is, why is Jude with you?!"

Jude felt Elle tug on his sleeve again. "Is she a friend?"

"Well..." he began, but Nova answered for him.

"Ludger and I are classmates." she said.

"She knows me because I would go to school with Ludger once in a blue moon..." Jude added in. Elle was about to say something, but then the train jolted a bit, causing her to lose her balance a little. Jude took note of how Ludger shook his head disbelievingly.

"Jude, let's go find Onii-san." he said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Jude couldn't help but blink.

"Oh, wait, what? You're letting me come along this time?" he asked. His older brother frowned while Elle shrunk back.

"You mean that guy with the glasses is your brother?" she asked, her voice wavering a bit. Jude nodded.

"I'd be lying if I said he wasn't." he said with a bright smile. For some odd reason, Elle couldn't help but frown. How could that man be their brother? They didn't even look alike!

"Yeah...Onii-san seems to know what's going on..." Ludger said, heading down the train car with Jude close to his tail.

"W-wait! I'll come, too!" Elle said, running up to Jude to grab the end of his sleeve once again. Both brothers stopped to turn to her with concerned looks.

"But, it's really dangerous." Jude said, gently pulling his sleeve away, but Elle's grip only tightened.

"I need to ride this train to get to the Land of Canaan! You promised to go with me, too!" she said, looking up at Jude with begging eyes. He gave her a small smile and patted her head.

"I know Elle, but it's too dangerous if you come along right now. We can find another way to get to Canaan after this, alright?" Jude told her. Elle's hope diminished a little, but she didn't want to give up.

"The Land of Canaan?" Ludger asked as he gave Jude a questioning glance. The youngest Kresnik gave Ludger a small shake of his head and a slightly bothered look, telling him that he didn't know anything about it.

"Please let me go with you!" Elle begged them. The Kresnik brothers shared a look before Ludger sighed in defeat.

"Alright...but when there's a battle-" Ludger began, but he didn't finish as Elle suddenly released Jude and hid behind one of the train seats. She poked her head out with a happy smile.

"I make sure to get out of the way!" she said proudly. Jude couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Ahahaha...I suppose that will do." he said, placing a hand on his hip. Ludger glanced at him.

"That goes for you too, you know." he said bluntly as he gently knocked on his little brother's head. Jude faltered a bit.

"O-of course."

._._._._._._.

**Skit: Uncle Judie #2**

**Elle: I'm not scared, I'm not scared....**

**Ludger: Uhm... Jude, just where did you meet Elle anyway?**

**Jude: Ah...well, she wanted to catch the train so, I thought, "why not"?**

**Lugder: *Sighs* Haah...All the more reason to take her with us then.**

**Elle: Hey! I never asked you to take care of me!**

**Jude: Don't worry, Elle! We have Ludger-nii and Lulu with us!**

**Lulu: Meow~!**

**Elle: ...You sound like Uncle Judie.**

**Ludger: *Surprised* Uncle-what?**

**Elle: Uncle Judie! *Suddenly Happy* He's a really cool guy and he looks like Jude!**

**Ludger: ...Ah...Jude?**

**Jude: *Sighs* Don't ask. I don't know either...**

._._._._._.

The small group of four (including Lulu) made their way back to the front of the train with Ludger doing all the fighting. Of course, it bothered Jude greatly, but what choice did he have? He didn't know how to even defend himself! Instead, he ended up making sure Elle or Lulu didn't get caught in the crossfire...and it wasn't a very easy job. Stray bullets can be scary.

Once they were close to the front of the train, Jude gasped in surprise and covered Elle's eyes with one hand. The sight before them wasn't a pleasant one. Even Ludger took a step back in shock. Several bodies were practically tossed around and the red stains were definitely not tomato juice.

"H-hey! Jude! Let go of me!" Elle cried as Jude wrapped an arm around Elle, keeping her eyes covered. There was no way in hell was he about to let her see what he did.

Ludger bit his lip and turned away from the scene. "Come on, Jude. Let's see if Onii-san's around here."

Jude mutely nodded and turned Elle away from the unmoving bodies. He dropped his hand away from her face and pulled her along the stairs, not giving her time to look around.

"Wha! Slow down!" Elle complained as she scrambled up the steps. Once they reached the top, the group of three just stopped. There, standing before them in the same place moments before, was Julius. There was a moment of silence as Julius slowly turned around. For a slip second, Jude could've sworn he saw a glimpse of something disturbing. If he were to put in words...he could've sworn he saw twisted version of Julius. Elle stayed close to Jude as Ludger stepped a little closer.

"Onii-san?" he asked hesitantly.

"Don't come." Julius said, giving his firm look. "Leave everything to me."

"Wait a minute, Onii-san! Tell me what's going on!" Ludger asked. Julius frowned.

"You don't have to know, Ludger." he said with a low voice. Ludger shared a glance of worry with Jude before taking a step toward their older brother.

"Onii-san-" Ludger began.

"You don't have to know!" Julius snapped, suddenly dashing forward. Immediately Jude grabbed the edge of Ludger's sleeve and yanked him to the side.

"Ludger-nii!"

But it was already too late. both Ludger and Jude flew right over the railing as Julius kicked them.

"No!" Elle cried, as she rushed over to the railing. Jude cried out as Ludger shoved him away in midair, nearly hitting the wall when he landed on his back.

"D-don't come here!" Jude yelled, shaking his head to get a grip. He had to admit, that hurt. His back ached as he tried to get up. He looked at Elle with serious eyes. "Don't leave that spot, you hear?!"

Elle gaped at him with wide eyes, but nodded anyway. He didn't mean to be harsh at her; it's just he didn't want her to get hurt. Reassured that Elle was somewhat safe, he forced himself to get up. His legs shook and Jude had to lean against the wall for support. The sounds of swords clashing together filled the air as his older brothers fought against each other. Jude couldn't help but feel a gaping hole of dread and fear.

Not once in his entire life had he thought that Julius would raise a blade against Ludger. He couldn't even imagine it and yet it was happening right before him! It scared him. Why was Julius fighting Ludger?

At that moment, Julius's figure suddenly changed. All of the color his had on his skin and hair all faded to black and his eyes turned a sickly shade of pink. Jude blinked in surprise as something quickly dawned on him. That wasn't Julius. That wasn't Julius at all!

Jude was about to warn Ludger, but the white haired Kresnik already kicked Julius in the face, temporarily knocking him out. Ludger's hands shook as he took several steps back before falling to one knee. He was just as scared as Jude was. He never expected Julius to attack him. Julius didn't give him a chance to get away, leaving him with only the choice to fight.

"Ludger-nii! Are you okay?"

Ludger looked up to see Jude stumbling over to his side. He could clearly see the panic in his golden eyes. Immediately, Ludger flinched. He swore to himself that he would never do anything to scare Jude years ago, and yet, he broke it. For the fist time in years, he broke it.

"I'm alright, Jude." Ludger assured as he placed a hand on Jude's head.

"D-did you get him?" came Elle's small voice as she peeked her head over the railing. Both brothers shared a look and sighed.

"She is still a kid." Jude muttered while Ludger nodded mutely. The youngest Kresnik held back another sigh and gestured to Elle. "Come here, Elle."

The little girl nodded as practically flew down the steps and right into Jude's expectant arms. For a moment there, Jude felt like this happened before. Well, kind of. He felt like he was copying someone else's gesture from a long time ago, but he couldn't place his finger on it.

"What is this?!" a voice gasped behind them. Ludger quickly stood up and eased up when he recognized the owner of the voice. Jude and Elle turned to see President Verald with Nova right behind him. The president took in his surroundings and his expression quickly turned livid.

"What is this?! That man...to my employees..." he trailed off and saw Julius groaning in pain on the ground. He suddenly pointed to Julius and yelled at Ludger. "Hey! What are you doing? Hurry up and kill that man!"

Jude felt Elle hide behind him as he flinched at the harsh tone. Ludger gritted his teeth and clutched his swords tighter in his hands.

"No! There's no way I can kill my brother!" Ludger snapped as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"You're going to cover for him? This monster!?" the president scolded. Jude cringed once more and took a glance at Julius. The older Kresnik was struggling to get a grip on something, but Jude couldn't say for sure. He wanted to say that Julius wasn't a monster, but how could he if Julius really did look like a monster?

"You're...too kind." Julius managed as he forced himself to get up. Elle grabbed the back of Jude's jacket. Jude knew she was scared, but he couldn't really say or do anything to comfort her. Ludger wore a slight frown, already disliking where this was going. "That's why!"

It happened so fast and so suddenly. A blooded sword impaled itself right next to Jude's slightly bleeding neck. Pained gasps were heard in the air as Nova and Verald suddenly collapsed to the ground, dead. He took in a panicked breath and sank to his knees. Elle cried out in surprise when she saw red staining the floor once again. Ludger's wide eyes bored into the scene before him. Nova and the president were mostly likely dead if not bleeding to death. Jude was covering his neck but he could clearly see red seeping through his hand. Elle was clamping a hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming as she slowly backed away from the scene. Lulu's fur was bristled as she, too, padded backwards to Elle.

"Ludger-nii! No!" Jude cried a warning with his eyes wide and terrified. Ludger barely caught on to what he meant as he turned around. He immediately froze as a sharp blade stopped right at his neck. Ludger's disbelieving eyes trailed down the blade to his "brother's" pink eyes.

"I told you not to come." Julius rasped. His expression was dead serious with a hint of disappointment. Whips of purple and black smoke swayed around him; almost as if it caressed him.

Suddenly, it was too much. Elle grabbed the side of her head and screamed. Jude wanted to stop her and tell her that it was all just a dream, but he couldn't seem to find the words. The pocket watch around her neck began to glow brightly, just like it did before as she screamed.

"Elle!" Jude screamed as the whole place was engulfed in a bright yellow light again. Jude barely understood what the heck happened as he turned his head and closed his eyes to block out the light. The same painful, familiar scream of Ludger's echoed around him, making Jude shudder.

Before he even realized it, Jude saw the transformed Ludger impaled their brother with the black and yellow lance throughly. Suddenly, Jude couldn't move as he watched that Julius disappear into...well, a mist of purple. Ludger stayed in the same position for a good three seconds before straightening up, looking right at the tip of his lance. A small cluster of clock gears ticked as it moved around in place.

Jude felt his eyes widened as he recognized it. He knew he had seen it before but he couldn't place his finger on it. Just where had he seen it?!

The ticking in the clock quickened before shattering into small pieces. Jude felt a sudden stab in his chest, bringing his gaze down. There, at his knees, was his bronze watch, opened and lying innocently. Jude didn't bother to look up as something shattered and another bright light engulfed them. All he saw and heard was the ticking of his pocket watch. The second hand was actually moving.

Suddenly, Jude found it hard to breathe. All of the events that happened today suddenly took its toll on his body, causing his world to disappear once again.

._._._._._.

Jude didn't want to get up. He was tired and his body didn't want to move. He knew he should get up, but he just couldn't really bring himself to do so. He sighed and curled further into a ball under the thin blanke-Wait. What?

Suddenly, Jude's eyes snapped open as he sat up, wide awake. He took in his surroundings and noted the several things wrong with it. He wasn't on the train anymore (he didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing...). There was no Lulu sleeping on top of his ankles, or the little girl he met... Heck, he wasn't even at home! What was worse was the very fact that Ludger and Julius wasn't anywhere to be seen!

Wait! Wasn't there a cut on his neck?! Jude immediately threw a hand to his neck and froze. There was nothing there. He didn't feel anything at all! Confused, Jude allowed his hand to drop. Was it really just a dream...?

"Where...?" he breathed as he pushed the blanket off and placed his bare feet on the floor. just what happened to him? Where did Julius go? Where was Ludger? Were they here? He noted that he was sleeping on a couch in a room that seemed like a living room. He could be wrong, but he didn't really care as much as he should've at the moment. He let his gaze fall on the coffee table before him and blinked. his bronze packet watch was sitting innocently next to a familiar bottle with a measuring cup on top. A note was left underneath the items.

This wasn't a dream at all.

Feeling a bit skeptical, Jude picked up his pocket watch and clicked it open. Once again, the clock face was still. It wasn't ticking anymore, but there was a change. The hands now read five minutes after three. Jude tilted his head. It moved fifteen minutes. Sighing, Jude decided to think about it later and clamped it closed. His head was already starting to hurt with all that happened...Blinking his eyes a bit, he read the note on the table.

**"Take this if you feel any pain. It's vital that you do."**

Jude blinked at the bluntness of it. Exactly who wrote this? He bit the back of his lip and picked up the bottle and read name on the prescription.

**JUDE KRESNIK**

Suddenly, Jude felt a bit uneasy as he read the prescription. It was exactly the one he had to take at home. Exactly.

"Uhm...Ludger-nii...?" Jude called out, hoping that it was just Ludger being serious. He waited for a moment, but the door to the room didn't open. He swallowed uneasily and placed the bottle down.

"A-aniki?" he called, waiting once more. He was answered with silence once again. Taking a deep breath, Jude tried to get up. A sharp stab in his chest caused him to plop right back on the couch with a hiss. He silently cursed and glared at the cursed bottle. He highly doubted that it was actually his from home, but he didn't have much of a choice. With a heavy sigh, he shoved his watch back into the pocket of his jacket and poured the required amount in the measuring cup.

He hesitated for a moment, not wanting to taste the sickeningly sweet, yet bitter taste of the liquid. After a half a minute of staring at it, he steeled his resolve and dunked it in his mouth. Immediately after swallowing it, he stuck out his tongue and gagged.

"Ugh! It's just as bad as I thought it'll be!" Jude said, shaking his head. Sighing, he got up from his seat on the couch and felt the medicine quickly take effect. He took one last look around the living room before heading toward the door. If no one was around, then might as well figure out where the heck he was. He walked out the door without a single pause and felt his jaw drop. the area suddenly opened up to a big lobby with a reception desk right in the middle. The door automatically locked behind him and Jude just ignored it.

He suddenly recognized Vera as she approached him from the desk.

"You're awake." she said bluntly. Jude blinked at her and gave a quiet nod, not sure how to answer her. She sighed and offered a small smile. "President Bakur is waiting for you in his office. He wanted to met you as soon as you were awake."

"Vera...what happened?" Jude asked hesitantly as she wrote something on her clip board. She paused for a moment before handing him a slip of paper.

"You were found near the train wreck and Bakur thought it should be best to have you rest here." she said as Jude took the paper. "Just follow the directions and you'll reach his office."

Jude scanned the paper before looking up, already seeing Vera walk back to her desk. He sighed, knowing that she done her part. He had so many questions to ask her, but he decided to just ask Bakur later. After following the instructions, he found himself standing in front of the door to Bakur's office. He took a coming breath and knocked.

"Come in!" called a gruff voice. Jude tensed a bit and headed in. Bakur was sitting behind his desk as Jude walked up to him. There was a moment of silence as Jude stood there awkwardly.

"Uhm..."

"How are you feeling?" Baker asked him suddenly as he looked up. Jude shifted his weight to one leg and held his left wrist. He felt uncomfortable with the president staring at him.

"I-I'm fine." he answered with a slight bow of his head.

"That's good."

"Uhm, why did you want to see me?" Jude asked. Baker regarded him with a guarded stare.

"I wanted to talk to you actually." he said as he leaned back in his chair.

"About what?" Jude questioned.

"You were found near the train wreckage after it collided into Oscore. Right now, Julius Kresnik is being hunted down by the police. He's suspected of helping Exodus." Bakur said simply. Jude's eyes widened.

"What!?" he cried, "but Aniki would never do that!"

He clamped his mouth shut as the President held a hand up.

"I know you're upset, but there is no denying it. Your other brother Ludger is also under the suspicion of aiding your brother. If he doesn't offer his help to find Julius, he'll be arrested." he continued. Jude crossed his arms.

"And? I know there's more to that." he said, feeling a bit nervous.

Bakur gave him a small smile. "Well, if he gets arrested, who will take care of you?"

Jude paused for a moment and allowed his hands to drop. "W-well...there's Balan and Alvin..."

"Aren't they both leading very busy lives? With your condition, it will be near impossible to find someone to keep you under good watch." Bakur said. Jude pressed his lips together. It was kind of true...but Ludger and Julius always did work...Well, Ludger only started working when he graduated from high school two years ago...Things have been a bit difficult since everyone was a bit busy...

"What are you getting at...?" Jude asked hesitantly.

"If there is no one to take care of you, I will legally adopt you." he said bluntly.

Jude stared at him in disbelief. "You wouldn't dare."

Bakur didn't smile or anything as he kept looking at the paper in front of him. "I can and I will. Unless your brother takes the offer, you will become mine."

"B-bu-but, that's if Ludger-nii doesn't take the offer right?!" Jude asked. "Tha-that's so-Why make things harder for my brother?! That's like forcing him to choose between us!"

"Exactly my point. If Ludger chooses you, then he will have to hunt down his brother. Of course, I will do something about the police. In fact, I'll make your brother into a Spirius Agent if I have to." Bakur said casually.

"So, you're just going to use me as a bargaining chip, aren't you? If Ludger-nii doesn't do what you ask, then you'll use me against him, right?" Jude snapped. He was clearly frustrated. Bakur was going to use his brother however he wanted as long as he had Jude. If only Jude could-

"By the way, please don't think about running away. I already have the adoption papers signed and ready to turn in."

Damn it. Jude couldn't help but stare at him. He was completely at the mercy of some guy he just met. Not only him, but his brothers, too. Silently, he begged to Chronos.

_"Please help me!"_

And to his surprise, the familiar voice of the spirit answered him.

**_"No. You're on your own on this."_ **

_"Oh, come on, Chronos!"_

**_"No. Deal with it."_ **

_"Wait...I can talk to you like this?"_

**_"...Good Luck."_ **

_"Chro-!"_

"Jude?" Bakur's voice interrupted Jude was quickly snapped out of his daydream and stared at Bakur in confusion.

"Ah....what?" Jude asked dumbly. Bakur sighed and got up from his desk.

"Come, I'll take you back to the break room. You look like you need more rest."

Jude barely had the chance to say anything as Bakur practically ushered him out of his office. Since he couldn't really do anything, Jude complied. Once they got back in the living room-or now known as the break room, Bakur locked Jude in, preventing him from getting away.

Sighing heavily, Jude allowed his back to lean against the door, replaying all of the events that just happened in the office. A feeling of dread filled him as he hugged himself. His family was a bout to break and he could do nothing to stop it. What happened next all depended on Ludger's choice. Jude would be fine with whatever Ludger chose, but he didn't want Bakur to become his...ugh, dad.

He shook his head and pulled his knees to his chest. "What's going to happen now?"

Jude felt something lightly touch his head, but he didn't look up. At the tip of his sight, he could see a white form of something.

**_"Sorry, Jude. I'll still be here though."_ **

Jude buried his face in his arms as he muttered under his breath. "You better be."

._._._._.

**Skit: Silence**

**Jude: Hey, Chronos...Why did you answer me?**

**Chronos: ...**

**Jude: Actually, I think the proper question is...why are you here?**

**Chronos: ...**

**Jude: Uhm...Chronos?**

**Chronos: ..."Silence is golden but duck tape is silver."**

**Jude: ...That's mean, Chronos. That's mean.**

**Chronos: Hm? I was only asking what it meant.**

 


End file.
